Process of Elimination
by the.woods
Summary: The AtS and BtVS gang are both tricked into entering a game they never asked for...a game with only one winner and survivor. Who will win?
1. The Invite

TITLE: (Originally) Embracing the Darkness of Change & Surprise

(Officially) Process of Elimination

FEEDBACK: Yes ! I don't care if you hate it or love it, just send your thoughts. Don't be nice, be a critic !

DISTRIBUTION: Just ask & tell me where its going...I'll probably say yes. And if you decide not to ask, just link the thing :)

AUTHOR: never look back / bent4lifeangel@hotmail.com

SUMMARY: The BtVS & AtS crew have all been through rough times, and they know that the only people they can trust are their friends…or not? Now, they're thrown into a mysterious area of the world and are literary forced to participate in a Battle Royale, where the motto is "be killed or kill". Can they trust each other under the circumstances? Or can they manage the impossible and escape? Only time will tell…

SPOILERS: None; AU world where almost all characters are together. Uh, this story really kills the BtVS and AtS timeline…

RATING: PG-13 to PG-16 for violence. But PG for now…just the minor "bad words"

DISCLAIMER: I obviously don't own any of the characters listed in this story. Why would I write fan fiction when I could control people's minds on tv? All belong to the WB, Joss Whedon, etc. etc. And the Battle Royale idea belongs to the movie guys and the author of the book, Koushun Takami--really good, I definitely recommend it!

AUTHOR NOTES: This was started on a whim…then ideas just came to me. Big spaces indicate signs of transition including time and characters.

CHARACTERS: Faith, Cordelia, Connor, Dawn, Angel, Buffy, Lorne, Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Giles, Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, Riley, Spike, Angelus (Angel and Angelus are two different people), Drusilla, Giles, Wood, Lindsey, Kate, Oz, Lilah, Harmony, and more to come… 

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The Invite

  
0 Dead; Day 1 

"So, I heard its going to be something similar to ah, a virtual gaming place," Willow said chirpily, bouncing on her and Tara's cozy bed. Tara showed she was listening by nodding her head, even though it was halfway inside their closet. "Do you think the others will be into it?"

"I think…Xander…might like it," Tara said, sounding as shy as she did on the first day the two lovers met. "Does he know about it?"

Willow smiled. "Yup. The whole gang knows. Somehow, we all got the same flyers. See?"

She held up the copy that she had received anonymously, just like the rest of the group. Tara looked away from the closet and towards Willow, noticing a lime green flyer which read "Battle Royale!" in large writing.

"Cool," Tara said and looked back into the closet, shuffling clothes around. "W-what exactly is Battle R-Royale?"

Willow shrugged, looking at the writing on the flyer. "I dunno. But, it s-says something about magic. A-and fighting stuff, for Buffy! Of course humor, for Xander and all that history and uh torture stuff for Giles and Anya."

Tara sighed and took out a floral top with mainly white and red petals everywhere except the long sleeve. "What do you wear to these things?"

Laughing, Willow put down the flyer and stood up, taking the outfit out of Tara's hands. "I think you look just fine."

With a shy smile, Tara looked down at her shoes. "Thanks. I wonder who else is going to be there?"

"Probably no one we know," Willow mused, looking into Tara's eyes. "Except for the regular."

The girls smiled at one another before sharing a kiss. For Tara, she felt comfort in Willow's arms, even though she wasn't the most protective physically. Willow had someone to turn to, someone who could listen to her babble and not be annoyed. In both of their minds, they knew they were perfect for each other--neither one could turn against the other.

  


  
Cordelia was angry. How could the guys **not** want to go? The mysterious "Battle Royale" flyer practically screamed out "guys night out"--so what gives?

"Cordy, I just don't think it's a vamp type thing," Angel tried, secretly not interested in the newest club trend or whatever it was.

"But look right here!" Cordelia said, taking his arm in her grip as he tried to walk away. "Dance! Action! Free movie screenings, for Christ's sake!" Agitated, Cordelia turned to the rest of the group. "Why won't any of you come?"

"I've got better plans," Gunn said, getting off the couch. "That do **not** involve groupies and the like. That thing practically screams it, man."

"I'll have to go with Gunn on this one," Wesley agreed, also standing.

"It seems like fun to me," Fred said in a timid voice. "I'll go with you, Cordy."

Gunn smiled at Fred and sat back down. "In that case, I'll go, too."

"Same with me," Lorne piped. "Human emotions are always intriguing to me. In fact I think I'll do a little singing myself."

Wesley sighed and walked over to Angel. "So easily turned."

Angel was silent throughout the whole discussion. Finally, he walked towards his room and said, "I'll get my coat. And Connor."

"I'm surrounded!" Wesley said loudly. Surrendering, he took a seat on the couch along with his fellow team mates.

"I win!" Cordelia shouted, obviously happy at the turn of events. "Finally, a night out, huh?"

  


  
A "night out" was a full exaggeration. Alone, Faith admitted to herself that she had been gypped. She looked at the blue flyer in her hand once more, checking to see if she had the correct address. Under the dim streetlights in a dark alley of who knew where, Faith began to have her doubts. There wasn't even music blaring--her type of club blared all night every night, across the street and beyond.

Just as she was about to turn in the other direction, disappointed that she wouldn't be getting any tonight, Faith heard a small creak in the door.

"You Faith?" someone asked into the night with a deep voice.

"Who wants to know?" Faith countered, turning around and showing her face.

The door opened either way after the stranger clicked off the lock. He swung the door open and left, leaving Faith in the night light wondering what to do next. The entrance called to her, beckoned her to come in just to see what was inside.

Giving in to the darkness, she took a step in. And another, and slowly another. Then, she lost all consciousness, drifting away to a very deep dream.

  


  
Faith tried to find her voice. She couldn't open her eyes--for some reason, they were hurting. Even with her slayer strength she couldn't lift her arms.

She turned her head and realized she didn't **have** her slayer strength. Faith tried to find her voice, but she was weak.

"Where the hell am I?"

The voice she heard didn't come from her: it was much more deeper and obviously a male. Eyes snapping wide open with the slightest bit of pain, Faith glanced around and noticed the other bodies--quite drugged bodies--surrounding her. She couldn't make out who they were without the moonlight, but the aurora each body gave off seemed vaguely familiar. That's when she noticed they were all outside, even though a minute ago she could have sworn she wasn't…

Shrugging it off, Faith slowly turned to the right. Her memory was turning on her and all she could do was look to the present. She looked for the guy who had spoken before.

"Who the hell are y--" Faith stopped in mid-sentence. She wasn't expecting this. "Oh my…god. It's you."

* * *

So what did everyone think? I'd like to get a lot more reviews before I continue…lots of homework and well, if no one reviews then I guess I'm blowing off my homework for nothing ;)


	2. Getting to Know You

**__**

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks to all of you who've helped out a lot. artemis66 & Imzadi: thanks for re-reviewing after the mix up : ) jen30: mucho gracias for the beta-reading suggestions !

The pairings will remain anonymous, since I myself don't know what I'm going to do. I'm happy for suggestions though--if I like the pairing I'll keep it in the story. I answered the "different colored flyer" dilemma in the next chapter…please review !

* * *

****

Getting to Know You  
0 Dead; Night 1

Faith's eyes quickly adjusted to the night, but without her slayer senses which had somehow disappeared it took a little longer than expected. What she saw was somehow coincidence--how could he be here, sitting to her side when he should have been somewhere halfway across the world (if she remembered correctly)?

"As much as I hate to admit it," the dark figure said, still struggling to sit up, "I am no god."

Faith offered a smile, which he probably couldn't see in the dark--unless he still had his *superpower*. An idea sparked in her head at the thought.

"Hey Oz," she said, slowly turning towards him with an aching body. _Probably drugged_, Faith thought. "Do you still have that werewolf thing going on?"

Instinctively, he looked up to the sky. With the heavy, thick leaves surrounding his space, Oz couldn't tell if the moon was full or not. In fact, he couldn't feel the moon like he used to be able to. "I guess not. I don't feel anything."

"Yeah, same with the Slayer gig," Faith admitted. "I wonder what we're doing here? And wait…isn't that Gunn? And Cordy?"

Oz shifted into confused mode. He had almost no idea what was going on, just that while in Sri Lanka searching for answers to his werewolf problem he received an orange flyer about some "Battle Royale" thing. _I've mistaken this place for another "Battle of the Bands" opportunity_, he thought to himself. What was he doing in the US? Or what was Faith doing in Sri Lanka? And **who** had a gun?--Cordy?

"Huh?" was the only word Oz said, keeping his sentences minimized yet never failing to reflect off his deep thoughts.   


  
  
Dawn woke up with a headache. She felt like she was dreaming--her head spun around her, dizzying up her vision. She slowly opened her eyes (which were drowsy for a strange reason) and spotted a figure hunched over on a rock near by.

Cautiously, Dawn looked around. What looked like a very malnourished and pale woman lay unconscious besides her. She had never seen her before, but her body radiated some familiarity.

Swaying, she glanced back at the hunched figure. Dawn searched her memory for his--obviously a male--back, but she was hopeless. If only she could see his face…she didn't want to get up and find out the man she was with was also a stranger.

_Wait_, she thought to herself, a little slow. _This doesn't look like a prep college course class…_

Her thoughts caused her to stir, leading the stranger to turn around. Dawn's eyes met his and in an instant, she realized who it was.

"Riley!" she cried out, struggling to get up. She made it halfway before almost falling. Luckily, he was there to break her fall.

"Dawn, watch yourself," he said, leaning her back onto a tree stump. "We were drugged, and I have no idea how we got here."

"Did you hear that, Miss Edith?" a voice behind them called. Both Riley and Dawn turned their heads to see the pale woman making her way towards them, stroking a small doll in her hands. "That makes thousands of us…including the stars and you and I and…them."

The woman known as Drusilla made a hissing noise at them before retreating slowly to the ground. "I don't like you very much," she confessed. "You have compassion written all over you."

Dawn's eyes bulged as Riley's stiffened. In unity, they both muttered "vampire" under their breaths.

  


  
  
As Faith and Oz woke up along with Dawn, Riley and Drusilla in another part of who knew where, a loud screeching noise filled the air. No one, including the others who were yet to awaken from the drug, knew where it came from--only that it omitted a sound of a bad radio station and nails upon a chalkboard combined together.

Elsewhere in the forest-like nature, bodies arose. All separated in threes or fours, each person heard the screeching. Then, as soon as it started, it stopped. A strange voice came on with a slight Korean/Japanese accept.

"Gooood morning, children!" he said, obviously oblivious to the discomfort each and every single one of them felt as they were scattered away from each other. "Welcome to Battle Royale, everyone! Did you sleep very well?"

Groans filled the air, along with merciless shouts. As if all the Buffy and Angel crew realized they were separated, different shouts began to fill the atmosphere.

"Buffy? Xander? Giles? Is Giles here?"

"Where the hell are we?"

"I'm hungry--give me food!"

"How did we get here?"

"Where are you guys? Keep talking!"

"Shut up and let the damn thing speak!"

Everyone seemed to hear the last comment, but no one knew who said it. The shouts quieted down, partly because of the large trees blocking out the echoes.

"Good thinking. Now, before I begin, let me warn you of the metallic collars around your neck."

Tara was one of the many who woke up to the screeching. Somewhere by a river, she knew she had been drugged. Attempting to use her magic, Tara realized that it wouldn't work.

As soon as the mysterious voice mentioned the collars, Tara instinctively put her hand to her neck. She felt a coldness about the collar, then realized it practically chocked her. It was strange how she didn't notice it before. The strangers around her did the same--one male who was green and another girl who looked lost like her.

Laughing, the announcements continued. "Silly children! I wouldn't tamper with those if I were you. Try to get the collars off of you and your head go BOOM!"

Suddenly, all hands quickly drifted away from the silver collar. The green male one spoke first. "Well," he gulped, "that ain't a go."

"And for all you **special** people," the announcer continued. "You know who you are. If you've noticed, none of your special **powers** work. No magic can break this force, and all strengths are of human strengths--that includes you vampires, but you can still slip into vampire mode. Sun cannot pierce you here, but I'm sure a decapitated head vampire is quite the same as a dusted one.

"You are probably all wondering what you are here for. This is no joke, but it **is** a game. You will all stay here for five days. In five days, if there is not one undead winner, you will all explode. Or die. Which ever you prefer.

"There is no escape. Everyone should have bags located ten steps to their right, equipped with weapons, food, maps, and other **necessary** items. As soon as you get your bag, I advice you run. Who can you trust in a game such as this?"

Suspicions dwelled in the groups. Each *player* looked towards her or his opponent, unsure of who to trust. There was hardly anyone in their group who they knew. Were their friends in on the game as well? No one could tell--they were all grouped with either strangers or people they hardly took the chance to know.

"Yes, yes, trust is the key. Or rather, the key you shouldn't just hand around. Try to escape and you will be sent in circles. Stick to the map, or be a wanderer forever--remember, this is **very** strong magic. Oh, and if at least one person doesn't die every twenty four hours, random heads will explode! Listen to the announcements every third hour for more information--and have a fun time, kiddos!"

  


  
  
And with that the speaker died out, leaving all of the scattered groups confused and lost. Deep within the middle of the woods (one of the most unfortunate places to be in a game such as this) stood Buffy, Connor, and Lindsey, eyeing each other suspiciously. Buffy was aware of her current position, and so was Connor--their strength was, dare they say, **average**, but neither of them knew about the other.

Buffy slid over her right, facing both Connor and Lindsey. She didn't know any of them, and if it was one thing she knew "trust" was not an option with these two.

"Wrong right, hon," the older one said, looking bored.

Huffing, Buffy answered, "I knew that." She took a step to her left and the man's right after looking towards the section of the bags. "I'll go first. And I'm keeping an eye on my back, just so you two know."

She moved backwards steadily, thanks to advanced training. Even if her strength was average, Buffy still had her quickness. "I'm off to find my friends. The ones I trust."

"Good luck," the younger one said sarcastically. He snickered and said, "I doubt you will."

Buffy's confidence was back. She decided to go for a bluff, hoping the two males were stupider than they looked. "I'm the Slayer. I've got slayer-senses in me--"

"I thought Faith was the Slayer," Connor interrupted, taking a step forward. Protectively Buffy took a step back, eyeing him suspiciously. He didn't seem to notice as he pressed on. "Did she…die?"

Buffy stifled a laugh. "There's two of us. And how do you know Faith?"

"This is all sweet, but I highly doubt this is the time for reunions." Lindsey walked away from both of them and grabbed a pack. He opened the greenish back and grinned. "Now look what **I** got." Lindsey put his hand inside the bag and to their astonishment, both Buffy and Connor took a cautious step backwards.


	3. Learning to Trust

**__**

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Suggestions and comments appreciated, as usually. I'm kinda clueless on pairings, so whoever tosses me a few I'll go with it--including a few of my personal favorites, like B/Aus : )

Remember, the timeline is **really **screwed up--people should be dead when they're not, people should have long left the show, etc. etc…

****

Learning to Trust  
0 Dead; Night 1

The metallic tip of Lindsey's weapon seemed to glow in the near-morning dark. He brought the samurai-like sword down to his face, observing it carefully before turning his gaze towards Connor and Buffy.

Buffy's face grimaced. How could someone kill actually kill someone else? Sure, she killed people--undead people, and demons, but not the regular humans. She had a feeling the stranger with the sword was not like regular people, or at least not as emotional. "You're actually going to **participate** in this game?"

"It's not like I have a choice," Lindsey answered nonchalantly, acting as if the game of killing were no big deal. _I've seen it happen, and I've done and attempted it before. What's to lose?_

"You're willing to spill blood?" Connor asked, picking up Buffy's negotiating tactic. "Innocent blood?"

For a split second, Lindsey's eyes flushed. He looked almost normal, or at least sensitive, with sad puppy eyes. Both Buffy and Connor thought there might be a chance to convince him…but the split second ended and his eyes narrowed into dark slits once more.

"Look," Lindsey said, raising his sword down to his waist yet still keeping it at defense level. "I don't know you guys, and you don't know me. Sure, we **could** get to know each other, but what's the use of that?"

"We could gather a group…try to get out of here…" Buffy babbled, trying to find a way out of the whole situation. _God, why'd I have to accept Willow's offer?_

"Yeah," Connor said. "Its just a matter of…trust." He lingered on the last word. Connor could admit it to himself--he had a problem with trust. Colts used to tell him it was a one-man world, and with all that Connor had been through, he began to think that was the truth. Could he trust anyone else in the game? He knew he could trust Cordelia, but he had to find her first.

"And plus," Lindsey continued, his stare piercing both Connor and Buffy. "I'm kind of ticked off. I was supposed to be at a W&H meeting, but instead I ended up in this--"

"Wait," Buffy interrupted as Lindsey fixed his tie with his free hand. "Me and a few of my friends met at this place on a lime green flyer. It was advertised as club, uh party place, on the flyer."

Instantly, Lindsey stopped playing with his tie and straightened out his W&H suit. What, did the girl think that he didn't know what a club was? Just because he was well dressed in a gray suit didn't mean anything…

Connor spoke up, feeling Lindsey's tension. "Yeah, same with mine. Or, what one of my friends got from who knows where."

All three of them seemed to stop in time, thinking. Lindsey forgot why he was holding the sword as Buffy and Connor forgot they were under attack. Finally, Buffy spoke up. "Did each of your flyers say 'Battle Royale'?"

Both of the males nodded. "Yeah," Lindsey said. "And isn't that what the Asian guy said? On the speakers? 'Battle Royale'?"

At the thought of that, Lindsey automatically lifted his sword and quickly flowed into a fighting stance. Connor and Buffy took another cautious step back, trying to figure out a way to escape. Buffy thought of a plan, and hoped that Lindsey was as gullible as she thought he was.

As she looked Lindsey dead in the eye, her eyes widened. She crouched down and looked around, acting as if she heard something.

"Shhh," Buffy whispered, keeping her crouching stance. "Behind the bushes."

Both Connor and Lindsey automatically backed away. Lindsey quickly stepped away from both Buffy and Connor's packs. As soon as he was far enough, Buffy went for it. She ran towards the forest green colored bags and grabbed one as she continued to run. Buffy could tell Connor wasn't far behind--he somehow anticipated her move and seemed to be following her. Fortunately for both of them, Lindsey's agonizing yell told them exactly what they wanted to hear: something other than angry footsteps following them.

Buffy ran, Connor right behind her. Tossing her pack over her shoulder, she quickly dodged the trees thanks to years of training and even without her Slayer strength, she knew she would be one of the survivors--if there were any.

Willow's head throbbed frantically as she slowly took in the new information. She could trust these people--they were her close friends. Or maybe even associates; nevertheless, they wouldn't try to kill her. Or would they? So many questions to wonder about…

She thought of Tara then. _She was right behind me_, Willow thought to herself. _How could we have been separated? It must have been drugs_…

Willow's thoughts were interrupted by a stranger's scream. It didn't seem like he was in danger--more like a scream of disappointment. Still, she thought it was safe to take precautions. In her head, she estimated the scream being a far enough distance away from her group.

Anya spoke up, ignoring the scream. She probably didn't even hear it. "So we kill each other? That's the point of the game?"

If it were anyone else who said the exact same thing, Willow would have been scared. Only, it was Anya--always pointing out the obvious.

"That's pretty much it, luv," Spike commented, seeming somewhat bored.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Harmony whined, oblivious to the fact of death and blood. "My hair is **so** going to be ruined if we stay here."

Wesley took that moment to share his opinion. "The announcer said there was no way of escape. But everything has flaws…"

"Y-yeah, that's true," Willow added. "Nothing's perfect. W-we just have to get everyone together, in one big group thing."

"That may be harder than said," Wesley challenged. "I estimate this forest covers a huge amount of ground. For a game of its, ah, nature of death and killing others, the area would **have** to be slightly large. That way, when it gets down to the last hours, everyone will be forced into one space, since like he said: areas will appear off limits--"

"Then my hair will really be screwed," Harmony sighed. "With the head explosion and all."

"Yeah, that can really kill you," Anya said, sounding serious.

Silence surrounded the group as light slowly poured out of the sun and into the sky. No one except Willow seemed to be worried. She wondered who else would be caught in the deadly so-called game?

"Wesley," Willow said, sparking an idea. "Did you come with anyone else? Wait, what am I talking about--you had to come with someone else. I mean why on earth would you come to a fun, crazy, energetic non-boring people's--"

"Willow!" Wesley said, slightly ticked off. "I think I get the point." He rubbed his chin in anticipation, thinking to himself. "I came with the entire A.I. group, and I'm guessing you came with Buffy and her friends?"

Willow nodded, then looked to Spike who was feeling around in his leather coat jacket for a cigarette box. "Did you follow us here? C-cos I don't remember Buffy saying…"

Spike flashed a successful grin and took out his cigarettes. Lighting one up, he looked to the sky and puffed out some smoke. "No, redhead. I, if you can believe it, got one of these flyers all on my own."

"Me too!" Harmony chirped. "I wonder who else is in the game?"

At the end of Harmony's sentence, everyone quieted. No one seemed to notice as Anya snatched one of the survival packs, hiding it behind her back. Willow turned her head to late, only to see Anya's suspicious smile gleaming under the early-morning sun.

"Wait," Willow whispered to Wesley, the only older adult she could trust besides Giles. _Where is that guy, anyways?_ "So Angel came, too? You don't suppose…"

"No," Wesley said sharply, understanding exactly what Willow's intentions were. "I don't think Buffy's around him. It's a gut feeling, I suppose. But if they are, I know they're concentrating on the game rather than themselves and their feelings."

Harmony frowned. "That's harsh, Wes."

He shrugged in return. "It's the truth."

Angel's eyes were deadly. The thickness of the trees blocked the sun, and for that Angel was glad. Even if the mysterious announcer said no sun could pierce him, Angel wanted to be sure.

Lilah sighed out of no where, trying to gain a little attention. The vampires around her didn't seem to care as she continued to punch in numbers on her cell phone. It was rather funny to watch someone in high heels and a short, light gray suit-skirt on a forest lane stumble every so often, yet still be able to dial a number. Angel would have grinned if he noticed, but his attention was focused entirely on the man ahead of him: his former self, out in the open, for everyone to see. How could it have happened? It must have been some dark magic…but Darla along the side of Angelus himself? None of it seemed possible to Angel.

Angelus, on the other hand, couldn't have been any happier. Maybe he wasn't happy, but **extremely** amused by Angel's priceless expressions. With Darla wrapped around his finger like a puppet, Angelus' rein of torture was steadily rising. His plans of revenge and irony would be ready--Angelus swore to himself he would not lose this time, and this would be the day when even the fearless Slayer would tremble. A part of him--and also Angel--knew that Buffy was in this fun, twisted game as well.

Should he participate? Slowly pick off Angel and the Slayer's friends one by one, a two-in-one package? Angelus chuckled at the thought; why wouldn't he participate? The sudden noise of laughter caused everyone to turn their head to stare.

"What are you thinking about," Darla mused, sounding more like a sentence than a question. She continued to caress his back with her sharp nails as she waited for the answer.

Angelus said nothing. He probably didn't hear anything she said; his thoughts were too good to be interrupted. Lilah groaned and looked away, trying her cell phone once more and not giving any of the group attention. Darla, on the other hand, continued to massage Angelus.

Angel could tell he was brewing up a plan. Something to get back at him, and maybe even Faith for trapping Angelus in his mind once more. _That grin is too twisted,_ Angel thought to himself. _I hope I'll be able to stop him when he chooses his victim._

It seemed as though Angelus heard Angel's thoughts, and he cornered them with his own. _You are the victim. Everyone else plays a simple part in my own revenge…but you. **You** are the key. You will only be able to watch as I burn down those you love--just like you did to me._

Please review !

[N]


	4. Some Guesses & Answers

****

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Suggestions and comments appreciated, as usual. Remember, the timeline is **really **screwed up--people should be dead when they're not, people should have long left the show, etc. etc…

* * *

Some Guesses and Answers  
0 Dead; Day 2, Early Morning

Faith was in the lead of the group with Cordelia and Gunn close behind and Oz trailing the back. As she whipped the leaves and branches out of their pathway, she wondered how they would get out of here. Faith had already figured Cordy and Gunn came with the entire A.I. Team, which meant Angel was out here in this altered reality -- a good guy. _And you can't have too many good guys, _Faith thought to herself.

"So. Where exactly are we heading?" Gunn asked, carefully planting his foot along the pathway to prevent any slipping.

"I'm just going with it," she answered, brushing past some leaves. Even without her slayer powers, Faith felt her abilities and agility come to her easily. "If you've got a better idea--"

"No ideas here," he answered with a chuckle. "What about you Cordy? Oz?"

"Nada," Cordy affirmed.

"Zilch," Oz added, looking behind him one last time. Gunn noticed and asked, "What's wrong? Sense anything?"

With a sigh, Oz replied, "that's just it. I don't feel or sense **anything**."

"Oh yeah," Cordy offered. "That whole werewolf ordeal is gone. At least for now."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Oz said.

The group continued to walk in silence, carefully looking out for any fellow survivors or trouble. Faith noticed the sun fade into it's orange glow, morning approaching quickly within the sunrise. As she stared at the sky, she didn't notice the lingering figure in front of her until Cordy called, "Faith! Watch out!"

Swiftly she broke into stance mode as the figure revealed itself.

"Giles," she breathed, loosening out of her fighting stance.

"Uh, hello Faith," Giles started, somewhat distracted. "Hello Cordelia…Oz? And…"

"The name's Gunn," Gunn said, extending his hand. "Buddy of Angel's."

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "I see. And Oz, how exactly did you…"

"No clue," Oz answered. He looked at Giles before asking, "Where's your pack?"

"Uh, a-ah…" Giles stammered. "Apparently, it seems as though someone c-casually snatched it under my nose as I was, eh, sleeping. Xander should be right behind me, though."

The group exchanged a look of worry before cautiously looking around them. Faith's eyes darted from tree to tree and plant to plant, as if she was expecting something to come out and attack her.

"Looks like someone wants to play," Faith muttered under her breath as the group continued on, looking for Xander.

* * *

Anya hummed gently to herself as she wandered the forest, oblivious to her status. A bug or something close buzzed close to her neck. She carefully swatted it away, muttering "stupid bug" before checking the collar. _I wonder how these things work, anyways,_ she wondered to herself. 

She neared an opening where the trees cleared and rocks lay gently on the ground. Anya could hear a voice, vaguely familiar, speaking out loud.

"Look at that," it said. "The sun is so pretty. Miss Edith, don't you love it…?"

Quickly, Anya hid low in the bushes. She had managed to creep away from the group she woke up in and found Giles, some blonde and the new school principle, Wood. Anya remembered taking only the pack close to Giles -- even though she liked the man, she still wanted to stay alive -- because the blonde had stirred, almost waking up. Her own pack was full of junk: just the necessary aid kit and a lamp without a light bulb. She couldn't even find an outlet to plug it into, nevertheless a valuable way of using it as a weapon.

Anya peaked through the bushes and watched closely as a strange woman with a doll in her hand swayed back and forth from Dawn and Riley. Riley leaned close to Dawn and whispered something in her ear. By the looks of the two, Anya guessed they had a plan.

"What do you want, vampire?" Riley said, showing confidence.

_So she's a vampire, _Anya thought to herself, shifting closer to Riley and Dawn's back while staying in the bushes. She wanted to see things from a different perspective. _Former demon meets demon in the now. Could be useful._

Anya stopped in her tracks, even though they were silent. She remembered Xander suddenly and began to wonder if she should get the vampire on her side or find Xander first. Gambling, she went for trying to find the packs instead.

"I want what you want," the vampire said, playing with her hair and coming closer to the pair. "I want to find **my** friends. I can feel their presence…"

"Who are your friends?" Dawn asked cautiously.

Drusilla stopped playing with her hair and looked at the girl. "Well…there's mommy, and daddy, and can't forget Spike --"

"You know Spike?" Dawn said, still from a safe distance.

"Of course I know Spike," Dru said, drawling on her words. "He was my one and only."

_Yuck,_ Anya thought, creeping closer to two of the green backpacks. _Spike and her?_

"Wait," Riley said. "Did you hear something?"  
All three of them looked around, Dawn edging closer to Riley. Dru thought out loud: "the stars. The stars don't speak to me anymore. I can't feel their presence!"

Anya looked up at the sky, quieting down and staying still. Dawn answered Dru's outburst carefully, trying not to get the vampire angry. "I can't see any stars --"

"Of course you can't!" Dru hissed, taking a step closer. "Only I can see the stars."

_You got that right,_ Anya said to herself. With a swift gigantic step, she managed only to take one of the packs before anyone noticed.

"Someone's playing hide and seek," Dru sung. "Didn't even invite us, Miss Edith."

Dru edged closer to Anya's hiding place. She didn't seem to notice Riley and Dawn splashing through the river, trying to find Dru's pack and run for it. As she came up to the bushes, she pulled the leaves away and looked in.

Anya was prepared. She swung her lamp right at the strange woman's face, barely missing and smacking the doll away instead.

Dru looked from Miss Edith to Anya in disgust. "You hurt Miss Edith."

* * *

As soon as Buffy felt as though her and the boy were out of range of the man with the sword, she brought herself to a casual halt and looked to her companion. 

"You seem so familiar," she said, waiting for him to catch up. "What's you're name?"

The boy hesitated before answering, "It's Connor. I wouldn't have answered if I felt I shouldn't know you."

Buffy gave a small smile. "Feeling's mutual. Anyway, how do you know Faith?"

"She helped me out once." Connor looked around him and followed Buffy into another section of the woods. "Or helped us out."

"I see," Buffy answered, fixing her pack onto her shoulders. She guessed he was another street kid that Faith had kindly helped out. He did have a strange wildness about him.

"Yeah," Connor said in response. "I don't know why we couldn't get you, though. Being the other slayer and all."

Buffy's senses alerted. He knew she was the slayer and he also knew how to contact her. "Wait. Who exactly is "us"? The people who Faith helped?"

Connor fixed his pack as well and walked ahead of her. "Us? More like them. Angel Investigations or whatever they call themselves."

Buffy let her pack slide from her shoulders easily to the ground. "Angel," she whispered.


	5. Traitors and Thieves

****

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Special thanks to everyone who's kept up with the story thus far…I know I haven't been updating recently, but school as been hectic -- you know how that goes. **This story may be going on hiatus for a while.** Definitely not permanent, but I recommend not waiting around for it to be updated soon…it will probably be updated with more suggestions I get, because your suggestions make the story work :) Thanks to all those reviewers; And a special thanks to **Imzadi**, who's been there from the start. Hope you enjoy the new chapter !

* * *

Traitors and Thieves  
0 Dead; Day 2, Early Morning

Xander heard Giles' voice closer up the path. He looked behind him to make sure the detective, Kate -- who he barely met and seemed eager to trust -- was still following.

"I hear Giles' up the path," Xander said. "Unless it's someone else's voice."

"I think I hear a female," Kate answered, pushing a branch aside. "Seems familiar, too."

Both continued walking until they ran into Giles, or at least who they had been expecting to be Giles.

Shifting his pack, Xander thanked his lucky stars and walked into the clearing, where Giles and a few others stood.

"Here you are," Xander started. "Catching up with you're old book bud -- "

He looked up and stopped walking or talking. "Uh, hello."

Xander knew only four in the group, which even he was surprised to realize. Kate followed him close behind and also took a look at the new comers.

"Cordelia," she said with a flatness in her voice. "Never expected to see you here."

"Trust me when I say the same for all of you," Cordy said, eyes narrowing at Kate.

Oz spoke up to stop the tension. "I take it you two know each other."

"Obviously," Cordy answered. "I hope there's no one else in this twisted universe that I don't know about!"

"So I take it you're not happy to see us," Xander concluded, a little hurt. "Or me."

"Down with the insults, children," Faith said, boredom filling her tone. "We've gotta find everyone and round them together."

"You're right," Giles said, cleaning his glasses. "Maybe, with intelligence, bravery, and fighting skills, we can form a group and attempt to get off the island."

The group started walking again, with everyone at a safe distance from anyone else they didn't know.

"Looks like it's going to be a long day," Gunn spoke.

Xander groaned in a reply.

* * *

Angel had watched Angelus and Darla carefully, barely sleeping at all the previous night. He knew he could take out Darla easily, but would Angelus stop him? Angel knew he couldn't take on both of the vampires even with the sword he acquired as a weapon in his pack -- thankfully convenient, if he might add.

Now, Darla was perched on top of a sitting stone with Angelus no where around. He weighed out his options quickly, either killing Darla or finding Angelus, and decided in an instant.

He walked up to her while she stared into the distance of the woods. "Where's Angelus, Darla?"

"How should I know," she murmured. "Probably off to find that little blonde friend of yours."

Angel gripped the sword handle a little tighter. Darla noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"You're not actually going to participate, are you?"

With a swift swing, Angel brought the sword across Darla's neck without a moment's hesitation. He turned his back to her dead form of dust with eyes narrowed, focusing on protecting his friends -- especially Buffy -- and destroying Angelus.

"I don't know how many times I have to kill you," he said to no one in particular as he grabbed his pack. "But you just keep coming back."

* * *

Fred could barely sleep. Even with Lorne by her side, she was afraid of what could happen to all of them. She hoped that this, everything, was just a dream. Sighing, she realized the sad part was she couldn't give way to the simple ignorance of dreams, believing that everything will be alright in a moment's notice.

Looking over to the other female in her group, who called herself Tara, Fred felt a slight kinship with her. She trusted her to an extent, more than she would trust any stranger, and before both Tara and Lorne fell asleep they all talked about how they got to the mysterious game.

"I came with Lorne," Fred had told Tara, who looked at her with wide eyes. "We had all agreed to go to this stupid Battle Royale thing--"

"I think deceiving is the better name for it, hon," Lorne said cynically. He fiddled with his pack, trying to get it open. "If only Angel had set us straight instead of joining in."

Tara blinked. "Wait. Angel?"

Fred looked at Tara excitedly. "Yeah! You wouldn't happen to know him, would you?"

"O-only if you wouldn't happen to know Willow."

"I know Willow!"

"And Buffy?"

Lorne smiled. "We all know Buffy."

Tara nodded. "Oh!"

"We've just never met her," Fred added with a giggle.

"Oh," Tara responded, somewhat confused. "I don't get it. I-I don't get many things about people if I can't read them. Or their auras. This place drains my focus on people--"

Lorne looked at Tara, somewhat surprised. He stopped messing with his pack and settled it on the ground. "Did you just mention reading people?"

Tara looked slightly embarrassed. "Um. I-I-I can read p-people according to their energies, and w-what I feel from them."

"Don't worry, Tara," Fred said, smiling. She was happy that they were all reaching common grounds and were finally able to trust each other--somewhat. "Lorne can read people, too."

"Oh, wow," Tara murmured.

"Only instead of seeing energies, I hear them," Lorne explained. He gestured to Tara with his head. "Let's see if it works. Usually, I can hear what people have been through, through their singing."

Tara looked surprised. "That's amazing. I've h-heard of people having keen ears in dealing with energies, but it's more common for sight."

"Just like music, I guess," Fred piped.

Lorne had tried to read Tara as she sang -- reluctantly -- but there was no success. The three of them had agreed to get a good night's rest and wait until morning to figure out the current situation before making any drastic moves. They intelligently agreed that if they could round up everyone from both the Angel and Buffy sides (not to mention who else was in the game, which was a completely different story), everyone would have a better chance of living and getting out of the messed up world.

As Lorne and Tara had peacefully fallen asleep, Fred couldn't bring herself to it. She stayed up, waiting for something. Anticipating anything that might reveal itself from out of the trees at night. Thankfully, nothing did. She was more than tempted to take the green packs of Lorne and Tara's and make a run for it -- the urge was so huge she couldn't stand it, most likely from the early years of trying to survive before Angel, Gunn, Wes, and Lorne had saved her. As she grabbed her knees and waited for Lorne and Tara to wake, she wondered if the others were safe.

* * *

"Red! Red, wake up!"

Willow groaned in her sleep. A pair of hands forcefully but gently shook her shoulders, trying to wake her up from her deep sleep on the forest ground. She opened her eyes to both a bright sun and bright hair -- Spike's to be exact.

She stumbled up, slightly groggy and half awake. "What is it, Spike?"

"Looks like Anya got the best of us," he said, motioning to where she had 'pretended' to fall asleep before stealing off.

Willow rubbed her eyes, gradually remembering what was happening. She looked around her, Harmony and Wesley still sleeping. Inwardly groaning, she looked to Spike. "Why would she do that?"

Spike grunted. "Obviously there's a player in this fucked up system."

Willow ignored the urge to smile. "She can't do much."

"True, but it's not about what you can or can't do physically," he answered, looking into the distance. "It's what you can make people think, and then do."

"Why does that sound so familiar?"

"I got it from my best buddy, Angelus," he answered with mock sarcasm. "C'mon, we've got to get everyone up and ready. I figure Buffy and the librarian will probably know what to do."

Willow blinked and asked, "how are we going to find them in a forest like this?"


End file.
